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User blog:GokūBlack10/Pokémon X
So, this has been a long time coming, but, having finally finished most of the more important features of the first games of Generation VI, I feel, as founder of this wiki, that it is time to do an in-depth review of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. If you do not yet have the game, or do not wish to be spoiled, go no further! For those who have, however, continue on; we have a lot to cover! Part I — The Kalos Region Behold! The Kalos Region! I have to say, when these games were introduced in January, I wasn't too excited about the setting. No offense to anyone from, or who is particularly fond of the country Kalos was based on, but a region based on France doesn't, at first, sound all that appealing. But, I will admit, as releases came out, and then, of course, the fateful first steps into Kalos actually took place, I fell in love with the region. It, honestly, is right up there with Johto on my favorite locations in the Pokémon world. Like most regions in the Pokémon world, the Kalos region is diverse in climate, terrain, and the variety of Pokémon found in it. It ranges from the somewhat rainy lower regions of Kalos, to the more frigid, constantly snowing areas, of northern and eastern Kalos — much like its real life counterpart. The staple of the region was the massive, sprawling central hub of Lumiose City, which was based on modern day — complete with the Pokémon version of the , the Prism Tower (which also serves as Lumiose City's Pokémon Gym). The city is massive, having streets, alleyways, stores, restaurants; pretty much anything you can imagine being in a large city. It is unique in Pokémon, in that the city is so massive, it is split into three sections, complete with their own individual Pokémon Centers that can be flown to with the HM02, Fly, in order to help you reach other parts of the city more quickly. Perhaps the other staple of the region is Shalour City's Tower of Mastery. As the name may suggest, you will learn about Mega Evolution here, and the tower itself is quite the site to see. Said to be the location where the first trainer to have used Mega Evolution settled, and where his descendants (and the descendants of his Pokémon, Lucario, I might add) currently reside — one of them, as you might guess, being the Gym Leader of Shalour City, Korrina. Though it is not made famous by any Nintendo release, unlike the previously mentioned locations, one of my favorite locations in the game is Geosenge Town. For those who have made it to this point in the game (which if you have the game, by now you should have made it here), you know this as the location of a massive conglomeration of stones, which we later find out, are the graves of Pokémon killed during a war that took place in Kalos over 3,000 years before the events of Pokémon X and Y. It is also the resting place of the native legendary Pokémon Xerneas, the Life Pokémon, in Pokémon X; and Yveltal, the Destruction Pokémon, in Pokémon Y. Overall, I give the Kalos region a 10/10 as far as Pokémon regions go. Part II — The New Kalos Pokémon Introducing Froakie, Chespin, and Fennekin! We were introduced to the Kalos starter Pokémon — Froakie, the Water-type; Chespin, the Grass-type; and Fennekin, the Fire-type — early on in Nintendo's releases for the new Generation. While I'm sure each of you had a unique Pokémon that stuck with you, Fennekin caught me immediately. I've always liked the Fox Pokémon that have been introduced in past generations, and rumors that Fennekin might break the mold of a Fire/Fighting-type evolutionary chain got me hooked. Needless to say, on October 12th, when I got my hands on my games, I chose Fennekin as my first Kalos Pokémon and I was not disappointed. It is now a Delphox, a Fire/Psychic-type, rocketing it to a place of second, among favorite starter Pokémon of mine, right next to Cyndaquil, who was my very first Pokémon when I became a "trainer" at ten years old, all those years ago. That being said, however, if you buy Pokémon X and Y with the expectation of catching a ton of new Pokémon, you may be let down. Kalos has an underwhelming amount of brand new Pokémon (not counting the Mega Evolutions), which make up its Regional Pokédex, standing at 69 new Pokémon species. This makes for the lowest number of new Pokémon ever released in a new generation, with the previous record being held by Johto, back in Generation II, which introduced 100 new species. Do not be dismayed, however, the Pokémon introduced are both interesting and incredibly fun to raise. Look at this sexy beast! All in all, my favorite Pokémon introduced in Kalos is Tyrantrum, the evolved form of Tyrunt, who is one of the new Fossil Pokémon; the other being Amaura, which evolves into Aurorus. Being half Dragon-type is a plus, as the Dragon-type remains my favorite type of Pokémon, but it also is the spitting image of my favorite dinosaur, the king of the terrible lizards, Tyrannosaurus rex. Needless to say, I have that Pokémon in my collection. Finally, we have the three new Legendary Pokémon introduced in this Generation. They are Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde. These Pokémon are the most interesting legendary Pokémon, in my opinion, since the introduction of Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and Arceus. Xerneas, the Life Pokémon, does just that. It is abundant in life energy and is seen as a giver of life. Its opposite, Yveltal, the Destruction Pokémon, whom I currently own, is a Pokémon who destroys everything around it every 1,000 years, when it returns to a dormant, cocoon-like state. In the game, it last did this 300 years ago, killing all the Pokémon around it. Zygarde, which I also own, acts as a balance between the two. It sleeps in Terminus Cave, deep beneath the surface of Kalos, and monitors the ecosystem — making sure nothing, or no one, disturbs it. Overall, I give the new Kalos Pokémon about a 7/10. The only downside to this region is the lack of abundance of new Pokémon. Otherwise, its fantastic! Part III — Return of Some Old Friends Professor Sycamore! Expert on Pokémon Evolution! One of the major selling points of Pokémon X and Y, especially among the older fans, and original fans especially, was the reintroduction of Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle; the three Kanto Starters! You're given one fairly early on, at level 20, from Professor Sycamore. For many older players, this was a chance to relive the days of Kanto with their favorite partners from Generation I. Aside from them, however, Generation VI saw an overwhelming return to the roots of Pokémon. A wide abundance of Pokémon from Generations I-V were present in Kalos, and some of the rarer Pokémon from these Generations were present from the get go, and were even very abundant in Kalos. This, for me, made Kalos seem more realistic and fun. For me, it was good to add Gible (which is now a fully mature, and very powerful, Garchomp) to my team, as well as other Pokémon, like Lapras, which is also available in the game. Additionally, only Pokémon from prior Generations received Mega Evolutions. It is clear to me, and I think, others, that Game Freak and Nintendo definitely wanted to refresh our memories of previous Pokémon and get our interest back in them. Rather than new Pokémon, these older Pokémon were made the focal point of Kalos, which gave it a feeling akin to Johto, rather than something entirely new and foreign, which previous regions, like Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova, have been. Part IV — Mega Evolution Say hello to Mega Garchomp! Perhaps the most popular and widely anticipated feature of the new Generation is the feature of Mega Evolution. Mega Evolution was given, according to Nintendo, to Pokémon who could no longer evolve, or couldn't evolve at all, based on their popularity, appearance, and game fairness. Mega Evolution is a temporary evolved form that some Pokémon receive, which can be used in battle, in order to greatly enhance their abilities. Think of it as the Bankai of the Pokémon world. Game Freak did this with the intention of making the Pokémon given Mega Evolutions on par with legendary Pokémon — and boy did they come through! Mega Evolution requires a unique item, called a Key Stone, which when placed in a Mega Ring, a Mega Charm, or some other device, emits and energy, that, when combined with the proper Mega Stone, will allow certain Pokémon to achieve a Mega Evolution form. Mega Evolution itself becomes available after your third Gym match of the game, however, it is severely limited, with only three or four Pokémon (if one counts the event Torchic), being able to do so prior to the defeat of the Elite Four. In the post-game, however, Professor Sycamore aids you in upgrading your Mega Ring, therefore giving you the ability to hunt down the rare and valuable Mega Stones. Mega Evolution added a great new dynamic to the art of Pokémon battling. It can be a game changer, but it could also severely limit your ability to form certain strategies, or even open up your Mega Evolved Pokémon to new risks. For example, Mega Charizard X, arguably one of the best Mega Pokémon in the game, becomes a Fire/Dragon-type, rather than its typical Fire/Flying-type. It also gains the ability Tough Claws, which makes all of its contact moves very deadly. However, this leaves Mega Charizard X wide open to the Ground-type, a type it previously had immunity from. In addition, only one Mega Evolution can take place per battle (though there is no limit on the number of Pokémon with Mega Stones that can be in your team at once). This means that players now must carefully chose which Pokémon to use their Mega Stones on, and how that will factor into their battle strategies. All in all, this makes it a brilliant new addition. Overall, I easily give Mega Evolution a 10/10. Part V — Fairy-type Pokémon Sylveon, a pure Fairy-type! Another highly anticipated addition to these games, was the creation, for the first time since Generation II, of a new type; the type! Like Mega Evolution, the Fairy-type added a new dynamic to Pokémon battles. Fairies, like Ice-types and other Dragon-types, are strong against Dragon-type Pokémon. In addition, they are strong against Dark and Fighting-types, which previously, didn't have too many enemies. This changes entire battle strategies, as, in addition to new Pokémon, which were Fairy-typed, many old Pokémon were retconed into this typing, which can easily throw off some of the older players who didn't anticipate this. Pokémon like Jigglypuff, Clefairy, Ralts, and Gardevoir were retconed into Fairy or half Fairy-type, making them totally immune to the once powerful Dragon-type. I must admit, initially, I hated the idea of this new type. I didn't like one thing about it. What changed my mind, was using a Gardevoir during the post-game. The Fairy-type has a lot to bring to the table and is very interesting on its own. Fairy-type moves are surprisingly powerful and have a range of added effects that can make them very formidable until the trainer in question gets used to their addition to the game play. Fairy-types are weak against Poison-type Pokémon and Steel-type Pokémon, which makes having those types on your team especially helpful when traveling through Kalos, as Fairy-type Pokémon are very abundant in the region and will pop up frequently; even being the staple of the sixth Gym of the region. After careful thought and consideration, as well as playing around with a few Fairy-types in my own game, I give the Fairy-type an 8/10. For a new species, they weren't developed that much, and we definitely need more of that in future games. Part VI — Other Features Poké-Amie My favorite addition to this game was Pokémon Amie — basically Nintendogs meets Pokémon. This feature replaces the Friendship system that has been in place since Generation II, by allowing you to pet, feed, and play with any Pokémon you capture, allowing you to earn their trust and Affection (the replacement for Friendship), which can also affect gameplay. Pokémon who have fully bonded with you have a higher chance of landing critical hits, can dodge moves easier, can repeatedly survive hits, even if their HP falls to 1, receive more experience points, and can recover from status conditions much quicker, than Pokémon you simply raise through battling. In addition, certain Pokémon, like Sylveon, for instance, can only be obtained by evolving a Pokémon that has been thoroughly bonded with in Amie. This is an extraordinarily well developed feature, as each Pokémon has its likes and dislikes, as well as personality, and it is a feature that will grow on you quickly. Super Training The other major feature is the Super Training. This mode basically allows you to pick and choose which of your Pokémon's Effort Values (or EV for short) you wish to increase and then train them to do so. It is a highly useful feature, and one you must make use of early on in training a Pokémon. This basically allows you to make use of your Pokémon's strengths, or strengthen their weaknesses, if done right. I trained my Gible, Gabite, and Garchomp this way, and the result was phenomenal. However, you only have a small window of time, as, just like with medicines, eventually, a Pokémon's base stats cannot be influenced any longer, after they've been raised to a certain point — so if you wait until your Pokémon's level is really high to begin this training, you may not be able to do anything at all. Horde Encounters Horde Encounters are one of the smaller features introduced in the games, building on Generation V's introduction of Wild Double Battles. In a Horde Encounter, which you will see quite often in the game, five wild Pokémon (at lower levels than normal), will appear at once. What is unique about these encounters is that, depending on which Pokémon appear, different things can happen. For example, a horde of Geodude may gang up on you and attack you all at once. A horde of Seviper will assist each other with stats boosting moves and then attack. But then, there are hordes of mixed species, like the one in the picture to the right. While sometimes, these will act as normal horde encounters, others, such as a horde of Seviper with a Zangoose present, can turn interesting. In these encounters, the Pokémon can even attack each other, as they would in the wild, and leave you free to pick them off one-by-one. Sky Battles Sky Battles are an even smaller features in the game. Occasionally, you will meet Sky Trainers, which will offer to compete with you in a Sky Battle. In these instances, if you have a Flying-type, or any Pokémon with Levitate, you will be able to participate. Sky Battles, as the name suggests, allow you to battle in the sky, and can limit certain moves. For example, Surf, and other Water-type attacks, that may be known by Pokémon like Swanna or Gyarados, cannot be used in Sky Battles. Other than this, they behave as typical battles and aren't very noteworthy. Trainer Customization Another one of the more major features is Trainer Customization. I could write an entire separate section on this, because it truly would fill the whole section, but for the sake of continuity, I won't. Basically, X and Y introduce a feature that allow us, the player, to make our very own Pokémon trainer — a feature most of us have been begging for since the very beginning. At first, this feature isn't so prominent; trivial things such as skin tone can be picked, and your mother gives you an ordinary second pair of clothes at the beginning, but once you hit Lumiose City, all bets are off. Boutiques, hair salons, contact lenses to change eye color, the whole works, can be bought and added to your character, giving them their own unique look that makes you truly you. This look carries over into the battle screen, the overworld, and the Wireless Trade/Battle features. As the game progresses, more Boutiques are accessed, different clothing is made available, and your look can continue to develop as you do, even new bags are made available to you. Its an amazing feature, which I hope is kept in future Generations. Scoring The new features X and Y brings to the handheld Pokémon games are nothing short of astounding. Easily a 10/10. Game Freak really pulled out all the stops for these games, and I hope they stick around for the rest of Pokémon. Part VII — The Plot Main Plot Last, but certainly not least, the plot of Pokémon X and Y is simply the best of any Pokémon game I have played to date. It was clearly aimed at us fans that have been around awhile, as the plot was much darker this time around, touching on things like death, mass murder, and war, which Pokémon games rarely, if ever, touch. Believe me, this was a very welcome addition to the Pokémon universe. A quick rundown of the plot is located below. Be warned a second time - if you do not wish to be spoiled, read no further; :3,000 years ago, a king of Kalos, named AZ, ruled the land and was friend to humans and Pokémon alike. Eventually, war breaks out, and Pokémon are used as the soldiers for that war. The king's own Pokémon, a small Fairy-type, named Floette, joins this war and is killed in the process. Greatly grieved, the king constructs a massive machine, looking much like a lotus flower, to bring his beloved Floette back to life, which he succeeds in doing, by drawing on the power of Kalos' legendary Pokémon. However, the king is not satisfied by this, and is still greatly enraged with those that harmed his Pokémon. Using the machine, now, as a weapon, he destroys the Kalos region, killing off a massive amount of its Pokémon, to strike back at his enemies. Fearing the man its friend had become, Floette disappeared, forcing AZ to roam the world, for the past 3,000 years, in search of it... The plot is accentuated by the villainous Team Flare, who wish to use the legendary Pokémon, and the ancient king's weapon, to destroy Kalos, and kill every last Pokémon, in order to bring upon what they call a "beautiful world". Post-Game Looker Plot In the post-game, a small side plot is introduced, featuring the Looker, who was introduced back in Generation IV. The plot revolves around Looker wishing to clean up the streets of Lumiose City, and enlists the player to assist him in this endeavor. During this, the duo encounter a girl named Emma and her Espurr, named Mimi. During the course of this plot, the group is charged with fighting crime in Kalos' most populous city, bringing them at odds with the dangerous remnants of Team Flare, which once more brings things into a life or death situation. I really loved this plot, almost as much as I did the main plot. Never before has Game Freak actually given us a plot to follow after beating the Elite Four (even in Generation II, where you have 8 more badges to collect) and, much like the main plot, it is dark, thrilling, frustrating, and gripping. A stellar plot to round out two of the best games in the Pokémon franchise. Scoring Overall, I give the Plot of X and Y, including the post-game, a 10/10. Conclusion In closing, it is my humble opinion that X and Y are the best games since Generation II came out, and were fascinating and wonderful to play. I have beaten Y, but I still have X to play, and we're all eagerly anticipating the possible release of Pokémon Z, making a complete set. All in all, I give Pokémon X and Y a 9/10, with beautiful graphics, and interesting and visually stunning region to explore, a plethora of new Pokémon, and one of the best plots in Pokémon history — its a must have for any fan of the Pokémon franchise. Feel free to leave your thoughts, comments, and questions below. If you feel like leaving your 3DS Friend Codes below, as well, to allow myself, and others here, to trade, battle, and enjoy the game with you, feel free to do so. I shall be posting mine later this evening. Thank you all for reading. Enjoy the game, and thank you for contributing to this wiki. This marks the official welcome of Generation VI to Pikafanon! Category:Blog posts